Top.



PATENTED OUT. 1, 1907. I

E. A. HOBN.

TOP.

APPLICATION I'ILED SEPT.12.1906.

ERNEST A. HOEN, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

TOP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1907.

Application filed September 12,1906. Serial No. 334,363.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it-known that I, ERNEST A. HonN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico, in the State of Virginia, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tops, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spinning tops.

Spinning tops have heretofore been constructed of a wooden body of tapering, pear or cone shape, and a metal plug or point fitted to the apex of the body. The plug or point has been secured in place by boring the body and driving the plug in the bore, the plug being held by the friction between the metal and the wood. The plug or point not only becomes loose after a time and dropping out, becomes lost, but owing to the numerous impacts to which it is subjected, is driven further into the wooden body and splitting the same destroys the top.

An object of my invention is to provide a spinning top which will not split and in which the plug or point is held more positively than by friction between the wood and the plug or point.

Another object is to provide a top in which the apex is weighted so that a prolonged and a steadier spinning is secured.

Other and further objects will appear in the following description and will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawings, Figure'l is an elevation of one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same embodiment. Fig. 3 is a detail section of the metallic or weighted apex of the top. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of another embodiment of my invention. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of two plugs or points. Fig. 7 is a section of another embodiment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and to Figs. 1 to 3, 1 indicates the upper portion of the top body which may be of any suitable material but is preferably made of wood of frusto-conical formation. This upper body portion is provided with a reduced screw-threaded extension 2 which is engaged by internal threads on a weighted or metallic apex 3, the apex being hollowed at 4 to receive the screw-threaded extension on the upper portion of the top and the meeting edges of the apex and the upper portion being flush. The extreme end of the apex is provided with an opening 5, the walls of which are screw-threaded to receive the screw-threaded tang or shank 6 of a plug or point 7. The shank 6 and its screw threads serve as means for rigidly and detachably securing the plug or point to the apex. The plug or point may be sharp pointed as shown in Fig. 5 or it may be blunt or round as shown in Fig. 6. These different styles of points are for different games.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4, the apex 33 carries a screw threaded extension 2 while the upper portion 1 is hollowed as at 4 to receive the screwthreaded extension on the apex, the walls of the hollow being provided with screw threads for this purpose. The plug 7 in this embodiment is integral With the apex.

In both embodiments, the apex is provided with a number of peripheral grooves 8 which prevent the cord slipping. If it is desired, any other means for securing the apex to the upper portion of the top may be employed but I have found that the forms herein shown are easily and cheaply made and are durable in use. center of gravity of the top lies within the metal portion. Further it is preferable to make the plug or point separate from the apex as when it is integral and the plug or point breaks, the whole apex is of no use. Any other suitable means for securing the plug may be employed.

In Fig. 7 the connection between the apex and the upper portion is formed by a cylindrical unthreaded extension 2 on the upper portion, engaging in a socket or hollow 4 in the apex.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A spinning top comprising a wooden upper portion, a metallic apex, and a plug or point having screw threaded connection with the apex.

2. A spinning top comprising an upper portion, an apex made of heavier material than the upper portion and provided with peripheral grooves, and a plug or point.

A spinning top comprising an upper portion, an apex made of heavier material than the upper portion, and a plug or point rigidly and detachably secured to the apex.

4. A spinning top comprising an upper portion and an apex made of heavier material than the upper portion, one of which is provided with a screw threaded extension and the other of which has a hollow portion to receive the screw threaded extension, the walls of the hollow portion being screw threaded, and a plug or point carried by the apex.

5. A spinning top comprising an upper portion, an apex portion made of heavier material and rigidly secured to the upper portion, and a plug 01' point rigidly secured to the apex portion.

6. A spinning top comprising an upper portion; an apex portion made of heavier material than the upper portion; a rigid connection between said upper and lower portion consisting of a socket provided in one of said portions, and a projection on the other portion, extending into the sockets and provided with means to engage the walls of the socket; and a plug or point rigidly secured to the apex.

The foregoing specification signed at Richmond Virginia this eleventh day of September, 1906.

ERNEST A. HOEN.

In presence of two witnesses HUDsoN R. HOEN, Gno. E. GREGORY.

The weight of the metallic apex is such that the 

